This invention relates to a flat sheet, tubular, or hollow fiber membrane. The membrane is suitable for use, for example, in so-called simultaneous hemodialysis/hemofiltration. The invention also relates to a process for producing a membrane.
Examples of known hemodialysis membranes include the membranes described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,069,151; 4,075,108 and 4,308,145, while examples of known hemofiltration membranes include the membrane described in, for example, European Patent Publication No. 0 046 816.
Membranes which are suitable for so-called simultaneous hemodialysis/hemofiltration are also desirable. To be suitable for use in simultaneous hemodialysis/hemofiltration, a membrane should not only possess high hydraulic permeability, but also should simultaneously have high diffusive as well as high convective permeabilities to solutes to be separated. In other words, such a membrane should as much as possible have the membrane characteristics of a hemodialysis membrane and a hemofiltration membrane at one and the same time.